(1) A chance to extend the winning streak against Florida and Urban Legend; (2) Florida recruiting could be given a boost (home game for Denard et al.); (3) New Years Day bowl game in Florida--you know, just like Sparty has.

No, to read what I said like that is to make the tail wag the dog. (1) to beat Florida, (2) recruiting, and (3) because even in the year of Sparty's dreams, their best year since the mid-sixties, their Sparty Super Bowl is a Florida NYE bowl game against an SEC opponent, which is what Michigan gets in a rebuilding year. I.E., even the exception proves the rule.

Which is a Sparty line of thinking: silly, arcane semantics designed to make us feel better about the fact that we went 7-5 and lost to them while they went 11-1 and won a share of the Big Ten championship. You know if they tried to pull that stunt on us we'd point to the rings and say "scoreboard."

I don't want to get a "New Year's bowl" just so we can compare ourselves to Sparty, that's how we turn into Sparty.

Pretty sure that Sparty line of thinking would be glorify objective (3), without more important objectives, like playing a national power and potentially boosting recruiting. Just so that we are clear, the best reasons to be stoked about a Gator bowl have nothing to do with Sparty.

I like the competitive fire, but your post has the stench of "WE MAY SUCK BUT YOUR SEASON ISN'T AN UNMITIGATED SUCCESS! HAW-HAW!" reasoning. In other words, the calling card of MSU fans. Their team was more succesful than ours this year, and while they didn't get a Rose Bowl berth, we don't get to gloat about it, because they beat us and we're not above .500 in the Big Ten.

I hope Michigan plays a SEC team, Florida maybe a stretch to win, honestlyI would love to see us play Georgia in the gator bowl. I would be seriously worried about playing the aforementioned Big 12 teams. I think the SEC would be a better match up for us. The recruiting possibilities are a nice plus too.

FWIW we play Nebraska next year, lets not get a head of ourselves for the bowl game, and take someone we don't play often, and one we are favored in :)

What will happen to the conference picks after the re alignment? Does the Big Ten get a bump and the Big 12 drop in terms of strength? I understand it's not the conference finish, but the choice of the bowl comittee. Does this swaparooing change the value of the Big Ten #3 now versus the Big Ten #3 next year? (for example)

If Brandon waits until after the bowl game to announce a RR decision, one way or the other, he's made a serious mistake. It would set Michigan back in recruiting either way and, god forbid, in a coaching search.

If you are referring to the Chengelis piece in the DetNews, I read the same comment, but I am not sure that he means "after the bowl," not sure what the precise context of his words were, and I do not think it necessarily settles this question. At any rate, I still think he needs to be decisive, and not use the bowl opponent as another data point.

If he decided to keep RR (which I think he should). DB needs to come out ASAP and say RR has met the criteria to continue as our HC through his contract. If he decided on a new coach, I stil think he should announce it ASAP. What worries me and many other RR supporters is that he may have struck a deal with Harbaugh and promised him he would not announce until after Stanford's bowl game. I hope this is not the case but I not sure why DB would not announce to keep RR this weekend? Such a delay in deciding on your coach will cost us some on recruiting.

...what a horrifying thought, and one consistent with events so far. Horrifying even if you're a Harbaugh fan, because it means a recruiting class quite possibly down the drain. Surely Harbaugh knows this too...? Probably just a rumor... right?

The other thing to consider is that hiring Harbaugh on or around January 1 with a full month to recruit might be plenty of time. He could represent stability with a fresh contract where it is likely Rich will get the women's volleyball coach treatment of the year to year evaluation.

Also we are assuming that the on the fence recruits who we would like to come to Michigan would be less likely to come with Rich gone. Maybe Harbaugh and all that he brings attracts them and others we thought we had already lost?

Harbaugh probably already has a comprehensive list of kids nationally from his current job and he would be able to cast a wider net than at Stanford.

I doubt this is the case. Don't AD's need to get permission before talking to currently employed coaches? I believe they do, and if DB asked permission then it would have gotten out.

Also, if DB is waiting on the outcome of the bowl game then my opinion of him drops. Just like Lynch was fired after winning a rivalry game, DB needs to pull out the panoramic view for this one. Any decision that hinges on one game is akin to putting the fortunes of the program on black at the roulette table and crossing your fingers.

If Rodriguez isn't gone by mid-week, he'll be Michigan's coach next season. Recruiting is the lifeblood of college football teams, and it would be a serious mistake to not get a staff in place ASAP to try and salvage a recruiting class.

IMO, Michigan would have to get seriously crushed in the bowl game and have the team openly quit to result in a head coaching change. Defensive staff is probably another matter, if recent coaching changes are indicative of how a hypothetical one would go down at Michigan.

On another note, when do the lower bowl selections actually happen? I'm assuming it's right after the BCS selections and then proceeds quickly down the line to the mid-December games.

I agree that the players haven't quit on RR - but players rarely quit on any coach, hot seat or not. Bill Lynch was a dead man walking on Saturday and IU still won its rivalry game. Bobby Williams-style team meltdowns aren't common.

100% agree that if he's not gone by mid-week, he's Michigan's coach. (In interests of full disclosure, I am 100% hoping that he's Michigan's coach next year, but if we have to make a change, I hope it's done very, very soon.)

Seems to me that RR will not make staff changes until his status is certain. Otherwise, it may look like he's trying to pass the buck. Speaking of passing the buck, did anyone read L. Kiffin's comments throwing Ronald Johnson under the bus for dropping the pass in the 4th quarter against ND (i.e., he singled him out, said the team and Trojan nation was suffering because of one mistake)? That is how NOT to lead team.

If he's not going to be gone, what reason is there to prevent an announcement of such? Only good can come from making the decision public. If they haven't said "Rich will be back in 2011", the only reason not to is because he won't be.

1. He's either on the fence. Which seems highly unlikely given all the work he has already put into the evaluation. He is waiting on the bowl game to tip it either way. Also doesn't seem likely since the more relevant games to evaluate are league games. We play them every year after all.

Or

2. There are time frames and logistics that need to be observed in communicating with and hiring a replacement. Harbaugh would be the only candidate out there that has serious entanglements as he is coaching the number 4 BCS team and apparently wants to coach that team free of distractions. If the replacement falls through during that process, Brandon will bring back Rodriguez as Plan B.

Or

3. There will be actually be a decision announced publicly earlier than the bowl game regarding Rich's future. This doesn't seem likely because Brandon has stayed pretty consistent on holding to what he says publicly. Don't forget though that he played it cool for a while on the Ohio State scheduling issue for the new alignment, preparing everyone for the possibility that the game would be earlier in the season.

The Gator Bowl and the Insight Bowl share the 4 and 5 picks. They both submit their choice and if both select the same team then a coin flip is used to determine who gets that team. So, they are either assuming that the Insight will select us while the Gator selects another team, or they are assuming that the coin flip is going to always put us in the Insight Bowl.

I agree. It might not even come to a coin flip. If Gator likes us (and we would obviously have a major draw, both in person and on TV) and Insight picks PSU, then no coin flip is needed and we go to the Gator Bowl.

However, I don't think it will be MS St. It's the number 5 SEC team, and now that LSU lost, there might not be 2 SEC teams in the BCS. But there probably will be.

So, the top 5 are, not necessarily in order, Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Arkansas, and South Carolina. Very little doubt there. So, the Gator Bowl likely gets the best SEC team left, and I doubt they pick Mississippi State over Florida. If UF gets picked over one of the 5 I listed above, then the one that drops will get picked by the Gator Bowl. MS St is possible, but not probable at all.

My thought is that if one is going to pick Michigan and the other is going to pick PSU, then it's pretty much a coin flip which bowl picks which team. It all evens out to 50/50. Plus, if one has reasons to pick Michigan, those reasons probably apply to the other bowl as well.

I was just saying that MSU has a better record and won the head-to-head with Florida. MSU also played in the division that looks like it was thought up by Jigsaw himself. Their only losses came by 4 teams in the top 16. Florida could steal the bid, but I don't think it's as cut and dry as you are making it out to be.

The reasons you name just aren't that compelling. The Gator Bowl doesn't necessarily want the "best" two teams, they want the teams that will make them the most money. Realistically, only 2 things make them money - how many people buy tickets, and how many people watch on TV. Who will buy more tickets - Mississippi State fans, or Florida fans, who have to go almost nowhere to get to Jacksonville? And who has the much larger national fanbase? Also, regardless of who the opponent is, bowl watchers unaffiliated with either school will more likely tune in to see UF than MSU.

I cast a vote for Blue, but Iowa appears to be running away with this. I think the poll needs to make it clear what Iowa team is at issue here: the team that lost to Minne-ha-ha and Northwestern, or the one that waxed Sparty and hung tough with Wisconsin and Ohio State.

Of the three teams you list, I would like to us play Nebraska the most, Mizzou the second most, and OKSt the least. Take a look at team passing stats - NU passes for 155 yards per game, and we don't even know if their starting QB will be able to play. Mizzou passes for 238 yards per game, pretty average, he'd probably go for 300 against us, but hasn't lit the world on fire against average Big 12 defenses. OKSt. averages 354 yards per game through the air. They would do whatever they wanted to us. I'd hate to see a very potent passing attack.

I think OK State is a poor match-up for us, so I'm hoping for Nebraska, but Mizzou is the most likely.

Oklahoma is a huge draw. If they lose, they will surely get picked by the Cotton Bowl, and if somehow that doesn't happen, the Alamo Bowl would be drooling over getting Oklahoma. There is no way either of those bowls picks OK St, Mizzou or TAMU over Oklahoma. Just no way.

I'm sure that's what he was alluding to, but it's certainly not the only reason the Big 12 sucks. Things like, "Texas takes all of our money" and "One of biggest media markets and one of our best programs just bailed on us for other conferences" are two other big reasons.

I prefer a challenge. We've proven we can beat people like UConn (who won the Big East) but we haven't really hung in there against any of the top tier talent we've played. I'd feel a lot better about a close loss to a talented program than us merely smacking around some other unranked 7-5 team. A win over a talented program would be even better of course.

4 quarters of the offense and defense firing on all cylinders would really make me feel better about next year.

If I had confidence that our defense could fire on all cylinders, I might agree. But, when I hear names like Nebraska, Oklahoma and Florida bandied about, I cringe. I am afraid I've reached the point where I expect our defense to be pathetic. Not that I want to.

The last thing I want in a nationally televised bowl game is for us to be embarrassed again.

Missouri we might be able to handle. But the big boys? I would like to believe we could, but there is so little reason except hope to do so.

Skunk Bear, you have obviously not watched a lot of Florida football games this fall. They average just over 350 yards of total offense per game, and only 190 of that is through the air, the part we have the hardest time with. Florida racked up big time stats against teams like App St, Vanderbilt and Kentucky, so they aren't even as good as they look.

Against Miami (NTM), they managed 212 yards of total offense, even though Miami had 4 turnovers, and had a 9 point lead in the 4th quarter. Miami (NTM) and South Florida are the only teams UF beat who are over .500, and they are both from mid major or almost mid major conferences. I know the Florida name is big, but I wouldn't be scared playing UF this year.

Side note: We won't play Oklahoma, Nebraska has an injured QB, and Mizzou really isn't a "big boy."

Look, I'm not saying they'll be an easy win, just that they aren't the Florida they've been since Urban got there, this is his worst team in 8 years or so (Utah included). Now, I bet any of those teams could beat us this year, so I wouldn't call this a gimme, but we have as good of a chance against them as we do for any other prospective opponent.

I hate putting it this way, but Florida is the only team mentioned that I would feel the least bit confident that Michigan could beat. Florida's offense is a mess right now. Their defense is only OK this year. Florida is having a very disappointing and unexpected year, while Michigan has had its best year in the last three; that could sway the intangibles in Michigan's favor.

Jax is practically home for them, but Michigan could sell enough tix to make it not quite as bad of a de facto road game. Florida looked like a very confused team against FSU. Gator fans are bitching about all three of their QB's right now because of their performance against FSU. I'm pretty sure they won't gain much confidence in the next few weeks.

Michigan could temporarily turn the Urban Legend into an Urban Blight in severe need of Urban Renewal. That would be a great way to end the season.

It's almost certainly a 50-50 shot whether we end up in the Insight or Gator Bowl For those who don't know how this will play out:

Wisconsin will get the Rose Bowl, and Ohio State (likely) will get an at-large BCS bowl. MSU is guaranteed the Cap One Bowl. Then there's the Outback Bowl. Since every Big Ten team left will finish 7-5, they can pick anyone. We could be in the Outback Bowl. Likely, they'll pick Iowa, but they could pick Penn State. Then the Gator Bowl and Insight share the 5th and 6th picks. If they pick different teams, they get the team they picked and we move to the next bowl. If they pick the same team, there is a coin flip, the bowl that wins the flip gets the team they picked, and the other bowl takes their next choice. The most likely scenario here is that the two teams in the Gator and Insight are whichever team the Outback doesn't pick (PSU and Iowa) and us. If both pick PSU, we (likely) get the loser of the coin flip. If they both pick us, we get the winner of the coin flip. If one of them picks us and the other picks PSU, then we get whichever one picks us, but again, it's 50-50.

Basically, that's a long way to say it's literally a coin flip whether we're in the Gator Bowl against the SEC or the Insight Bowl against the Big 12. The only caveats are if the Outback Bowl gifts us a spot in their game or if one of Gator and Insight is dumb enough to pick Illinois over Michigan. I don't think either caveat happens, but you never know.

I've also seen us playing Texas A & M in the Insight Bowl. When will this coin flip between the Insight and Gator Bowls happen anyway? It would be good if we could start planning travel sooner rather than later.